Come Find Me When You Wake Up
by StygianSea
Summary: "He tells her to follow him, makes his way back onto the beach. Remembers how she stares at him, disbelieving. Remembers his confusion when she throws down her sword. 'Find me when you wake up.'" Progression of Cage's relationship with Rita as he loops through the movie. RitaxCage


He remembers the very first time he watches her die.

She's standing tall, the Angel of Verdun, a fist curled tightly around her weapon, when their eyes meet.

He remembers how she stares at him, and how he stares back, looking up at her; remembers how he thought he saw the glimmer of a circle of light around her head.

Remembers when the missile strikes her back.

Remembers how she's blasted forward, landing heavily right next to him, eyes wide and vacant, staring lifelessly out into a blue sky swirling with fire.

Remembers how his heart stops, and he screams.

* * *

He remembers the first few times he tries to save her.

Remembers how he tackles her into the dropship, landing heavily on top of her.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to save you."

Remembers that there's a mimic above him, and another to his left; shoots them on reflex, not bothering to turn his head. He tells her to follow him, makes his way back onto the beach.

Remembers how she stares at him, disbelieving. Remembers his confusion when she throws down her sword.

"Find me when you wake up."

"What?"

"Come find me when you wake up-"

The dropship explodes.

* * *

He remembers the first time he watches her slender body push off of the floor.

Remembers the room, the presentation, remembers every word that was said.

Remembers how insane she sounds when she tells him about the visions.

How he can't believe she tells him that he will have to die, every day.

How the weight of the world falls upon his shoulders in less than an instant.

Remembers thinking that he can't take much more of this.

Remembers trying to convince them that he was not the right man for the job, that he would never be combat ready.

* * *

He remembers how she trains him.

Remembers every bone he breaks, every bullet in his brain, every word she speaks. _Again. Again. Again._

Remembers how he looks at her, that familiar feeling rising in his chest. Remembers how ironic it seemed to describe that feeling as "familiar," when he hadn't experienced it yet. When so many things had yet to come to pass.

He remembers the way she looks at him, how she stares at him, like she suspects something, like she knows.

_Like maybe, just maybe, she feels it, too._

But she turns her head and looks away.

"Again."

* * *

He remembers every death of hers he's caused.

Remembers every tactic, every strategy, every evasive manoeuvre, every time they fail. Every time they make a mistake. Every time it isn't enough. Every time she dies.

Remembers watching her lifeless eyes as she lay on the battlefield, sad and pathetic and hopeless. Remembers feeling himself sad and pathetic and hopeless.

Remembers that familiar feeling in his chest curl into something twisted and dark, like bile rising in his throat that he just can't spit out.

He can't stand to see it happen again.

He watches it happen a hundred more times.

* * *

He remembers the one time he turns and walks away.

Remembers how he thought getting off the beach was impossible; how he thought it would be much easier, once they finally got inland.

But she can't make it any further, no matter how much he begs and pleads. No matter how hard he tries. He can't save her.

He remembers the hoard of mimics descending onto them; remembers holding her hand as she slips away, again and again and again.

He wakes and finds her. Remembers her middle name is Rose. Remembers how she dies.

He turns and walks away.

* * *

He remembers when he realized it was all a trap.

Remembers the Alpha, the water filling his lungs.

Remembers to go and find her this time.

She tells him about the transponder, and they set out for Whitehall. They run through several loops trying to get Brigham to listen; he remembers the elation when, finally, the device is in his hands.

Remembers the dread when the soldiers start to attack. (Remembers her putting yet another bullet through his skull.)

Remembers the adrenaline as they escape, the device breaching his skin, the visions exploding before his eyes.

Remembers everything going dark.

* * *

He remembers when he wakes up. Remembers feeling a distinct lack of power.

He can't go and find her this time. He's strapped to a table and can't escape. He remembers how they won't tell him if she's alive. How he just needs her to be alive.

Remembers the relief that floods his system when she finds him, for once. "I was out of those things in three minutes, Cage. What's wrong with you?"

_I thought you were dead._ "I thought you were dead."

He detects the barest hint of a smile at the corner of her lip. "Not yet."

* * *

He remembers how she dies.

The last time, the final time. How she grabs him, says that neither of them are getting out alive.

Remembers how she looks into his eyes for as long as she can. Remembers how he thought he saw something there, that maybe it wasn't just him this whole time after all.

Remembers the soft press of her lips against his; soft, under all the blood and dirt and grime.

Remembers how, all too soon, it's over.

Remembers the Alpha chasing her, alien, horrific.

Remembers how he can't do anything.

Remembers how it tears her apart.

* * *

"Come find me when you wake up."

She didn't tell him to do it this time. Not technically.

She did say she'd wished she'd gotten a chance to know him. Kissed him, before running off to sacrifice herself.

And now, she could get that chance.

Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?

It's different this time; there's a spring in his step. He walks past the litany of armored soldiers called to attention at his entrance; something that would have flooded him with pride (and maybe just a hint of arrogance), all those many days ago. But he doesn't pay attention to it now. He's focused. He only wants one thing.

He finds her, pushing herself swiftly up off the ground, lithe as always. He sees her eyes, bright blue and full of suspicion and curiosity.

He watches as she jumps up (and thinks that maybe, just maybe, there's a spring in her step as well), takes a few steps towards him, and speaks.

"Yes? What do you want?"

He remembers the hundreds of times she's died. The hundreds of times he's watched the light go out from her eyes. The hundreds of times he's tried to save her, and the hundreds of times he's failed. He remembers the feel of her skin under his fingers, the soft press of her lips on his. Remembers everything he's supposed to say. _That was you, me, us, we did it, we beat them, we won._

_I found you._

Cage stares at Rita, and smiles.


End file.
